Adrenaline MMA III set for June 13 in Alabama, Sylvia still to box Mercer

After the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board refused to sanction a boxing match between former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia (24-5 MMA) and 47-year-old former boxing champion Ray Mercer (36-7-1 Boxing), Adrenaline MMA III promoter Monte Cox has been forced to secure an alternate venue.

Originally planned for a May date in Atlantic City, Adrenaline MMA III will instead take place June 13 at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena in Birmingham, Ala.

Alabama does not have a regulatory commission to sanction the fight, but Cox insisted that was not the reason for selecting the new locale. The longtime promoter instead cited a “big sponsor” as the reason for the change.

When news of the possible bout originally surfaced in February, Cox toldMMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) he felt Sylvia vs. Mercer was an intriguing matchup.

“I was doing Tim Sylvia against Ray Mercer as a headliner,” Cox said. “First I was doing it in MMA. We changed and thought it would be a lot more interesting in boxing.

“In boxing, who knows who is going to win. Mercer just beat a guy who is 30-2. He was ranked fifth in Europe and Mercer just beat him.”

Cox told VERSUS.com he hopes the bout opens up future opportunities for Sylvia in the world of boxing – should he get by Mercer.

Cox also hopes to find opponents for ex-UFC fighters Jeremy Horn and Rich Clementi at the June event.

Despite Cox holding one more event on a multi-fight broadcast deal with HDNet, the network has thus far declined to carry the event.

When Cox spoke to MMAjunkie.com in February, he mentioned Sylvia intended to compete in MMA again on the as-yet-unannounced third event for Affliction. Cox again confirmed those intentions in the report on VERSUS.com, citing Paul Buentello as Sylvia’s intended opponent.

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